Three is a crowd Delena
by NlovingtheD
Summary: Its a Delena story that shows how the two of the grow together. I also shows the lengths they are willing to go to protect each other. Takes place after 2x9.
1. Chapter 1

Authors notes:

This story takes place after episode 2x9 Katerine, therefore note I do not own TVD or its characters.

Its about the love between Damon and Elena and the lengths he is willing to go to protect her.

A love story in the making.

_Three is a crowd _

Chapter 1:

Elena's POV

"Another shot bartender" I spat out as I looked at the shot glasses that were piled up in front of me.

"Elena" Matt said looking worried at me, sweet old Matt who I could always count on.

"I am more than fine Matt, I am perfect" I laughed.

"You don't look fine Elena" Matt tried and I felt the anger build up inside me.

"No I am serious Elena who lost her parents " I said and knew it was uncalled for, Matt was just trying to help me, but I could never tell him the truth.

"What's with you Elena" Matt asked and I wished more than ever that I would be able to tell him everything.

"Just leave me alone Matt"

"Now don't be so dramatic Elena" someone said and I knew without turning around who it would be.

"Damon, just the person I did not want to see" I said and took yet another shot of tequila.

"I'll take her home" Damon said and sent Matt on his way.

"Your not taking me anywhere" I said and looked at him "I don't want you help".

"I know Elena, you hate me, I am the reason for all evil in the world and blah blah, and not that I'm not enjoying this little attempt of teenage rebel act your trying to pull, then it is time to go home".

"Damon you can't tell me what to do" I tried, but I knew he was right, I had fooled myself into believing I could be free from all of my worries for one night, but they were still there like shadows over my head.

"I can't do this Damon" I said and tried to stand on my feet, realizing that the last shot had really thrown me of balance.

"Come here boozy" Damon said and had a firm grip around me.

How I ended up in my bed I don't remember, but I remembered Damon sitting there moving my hair away from my face stroking my cheek.

I still felt the shivers all over my body whenever Damon showed me this side of him, and I tried as usually to block them out.

"I remember Damon, everything you said I remember" I mumbled, knowing I had said to much.

"What do you mean Elena?" he asked and I felt how I drifted away.

When I woke up Damon was sitting by the window looking outside, there was something about him that always made me doubt the hate I felt towards him.

"Go away Damon" I said and turned over.

"I wish I could, but I promised your boyfriend that I would be on Elena duty this morning" he said.

"I don't need a babysitter" I said and realized just how much my head was spinning.

"The curse of the tequila" he said and smirked.

"And you would know how? Your dead" I said and got out of bed.

"That sounded almost like an insult" Damon said and smiled.

"Just go away, I'll be fine" I said and headed for the bathroom.

"Perfect, then I can go and meet our own little Stefan and make plans on how to keep you safe princess" he said, reeking of sarcasm.

"I don't need you to protect me"

"Of course not, the oldest vampire is looking for you planning to sacrifice you, I see how your not needing protection" he said and I felt my heart drop and I hurried into the bathroom.

I knew I was in danger, and I knew everyone I loved was in danger because of my curse of looking like Katherine.

When I came back from the bathroom Damon had taken off and I felt relieved, I knew that I should hate him with every fibre in my body, but I didn't and my excuses about feeling sorry for him didn't entirely measure up to the feelings I had either.

I knew I couldn't ever afford to explore my feelings, and I didn't want to, I love Stefan and he was just what I needed.

Katherine had torn them apart and I would be damned before I ever did anything like it. When it came down to it Stefan and Damon cared for each other and needed each other.

"_I love you Elena… And its because I love you, I can't be selfish with you" _I still heard his words over and over again in my head and they had changed everything.

I had seen a side to Damon I had never seen before, somewhere I knew he cared for me, but him saying it made it real and I wasn't ready for that.

I knew I broken his heart every day I was with Stefan, and he still had the urge to save my life and protect me, and I didn't deserve it.

"Elena?" I heard Bonnie calling from downstairs and I rushed down to see her, she saved me from torturing myself with thoughts of Damon.

"What's up Bonnie?" I said and put on the best smile I could master.

"I could ask you the same question, I just ran into Matt, he told me he found you at the grill yesterday drunk. And as if that wasn't bad enough he saw you leave with Damon" she said and gave me her blaming look that I knew she only gave me because she cared about me.

"I know Bonnie, I just needed some time off, and believe me I regret it so bad right now" I said and headed for the kitchen.

"And the whole thing with Damon?" she asked, I guess I couldn't get out of that one.

"He just helped me get home, nothing more" I said and it wasn't a lie.

"He is bad news Elena" Bonnie said and kept staring at me.

"I know Bonnie, but as hard as I try I can't hate him" I said and was surprised by my confession.

"He killed Jeremy" she spat out.

"I know and I hated him for that, but Katherine messed with his head and he has really changed Bonnie" I said and I knew I was entering troubled water.

"You don't tell me that you actually fell something for that monster?"

"I don't feel something, I just understand him. And to be fair he has changed and he really came trough for me when I was abducted" I said only lying a little bit.

Damon's POV

"Is Elena okay?" Stefan asked as I entered the living room.

"Lets see, she just found out that and psycho vampire wants to kill her and everyone she loves is in danger, I think she is doing just peachy little brother" I said and poured myself a glass of Scotch.

"Here's a crazy though, why don't you go and see her, and then you can declare you undying love and promise to always keep her safe, that would maybe cheer her up" I said and rolled my eyes.

"Aren't you funny? I know you care for her too, and we need to find a way to protect her" he said and gave me his broody hero look.

"Can we plan this hero act later, I need to feed" I said and walked away, I wanted more than anything to save Elena, but Stefan would kill me before agreeing to my plan.

I hated having to do it, but it was the only thing that would maybe help me save Elena.

"Rise and shine" I yelled into the darkness and as she stumbled out of the darkness I felt my heart skip another beat, this time not because of love, but because of hate.

"Well isn't this my lucky week, all those visitors" she said and looked at me with her manipulating look she was so good at.

"Trust me it isn't a social visit" I spat out.

"Well I figured seeing you probably still are a bit pissed about me loving Stefan over you" She said and I knew her game, but I wouldn't let her do that to me again.

"I here to make a deal" I said and looked at her.

"What makes you think I would ever agree to anything you have to suggest"

"Because it would mean your survival"

"I kind of doubt that, but go on" she said.

"I know you want to save Elena" I challenged her.

"And what makes you think that?"

"She's your blood"

"Are you applying that I am capable of feeling something?" she laughed.

"I know you do, or else you would have killed her"

"Well I tried to kill her aunt, so long shot of me feeling something for your girlfriend, or wait Stefan's girlfriend" she said knowing exactly what buttons she was pushing.

"And add that detail that I was ready to sacrifice her to gain my own freedom" she continued.

"I don't believe that for a second, there is something you aren't telling us, and you knew we would have to come her and beg for your help, you always have a plan b don't you" I said feeling the hate for her grow even more.

"As I told Elena then better her than me" Katherine smirked.

"Do you think I am that dumb Katherine, you honestly want me to believe that you believed that Klaus would just forgive you if you handed over Elena?" I said knowing she was hiding something.

"A girl's got to got to dream, right," she said.

"There is something you're hiding, and if I was you I would start talking" I said growing very impatient.

"What's in it for me Damon? A stake through my heart when you gotten what you want?"

"I guess that's just a chance you would have to take, and I believe that's something your willing to do seeing Elena is the only thing connecting you to your humanity" I said and went for the tomb door.

"Wait"

"I know how to save her, but I need assurance" she said and I knew I would have to play on her terms as well.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Damon's POV

I knew that convincing Bonnie to let Katherine out of the tomb would be an impossible task, but I had to.

I headed for the grill where I knew Bonnie would be, and sure thing she was there with Jeremy.

"Bonnie my dear, I need you" I said and smirked at her.

"I have no interest in talking to you" she said and turned around.

"Oh, but I think you do, I have an offer to make that could save your best friend" I said and knew I had captured her interest.

"Not here, outside" I said knowing she couldn't resist hearing me out.

Outside she looked at me with her witchy stare that creped me out every time.

Elena's POV

"Stefan" I yelled as I walked into the boarding house, I hadn't seen him all day, he had been hunting with Caroline.

"Elena, the living room" he yelled.

Stefan, Caroline and Rose were looking at me as I had interrupted an important conversation.

"What are you talking about" I tried.

"What animal we prefer" Caroline tried, I knew she lied.

I was about to demand an explanation when I heard the door open. Bonnie was the first one to come around the corner, and the person following her made my heart skip a beat and I let out a sign of horror.

"Bonnie what's going on" Stefan yelled as he rushed to be by my side.

"Everybody sit down" Bonnie said keeping her cool.

Everybody was on watch as they moved to the couch; Stefan didn't let go of me and kept his eyes at Katherine who looked sick and weak.

"I freed Katherine from the tomb" Bonnie said and looked at us.

"Why Bonnie" I said sounding more desperate than I wanted.

"Because she is the only hope of saving you" Bonnie said.

"You don't seem glad to see me" Katherine said and looked directly at me.

I don't know what happened, but shortly after having said that she fell to the ground, grabbing her head while screaming.

"I told you I was getting stronger" Bonnie said and broke her gaze at Katherine.

"Bonnie what is going on" I asked.

"Katherine is the only one who knows how to save you Elena, and Damon and I struck a deal with her"

"Damon? Where is he?" Rose asked.

"I'll get to that part, but I think it is best if Katherine takes it from here" Bonnie said.

"Well I needed my freedom and if keeping Elena alive then that's what I will try to do. I have been adapting my body to vervain, and not just because it comes in handy, but because the originals are way stronger than you will ever understand. They are able to compel vampires, and with vervain in my system, they wont get inside my head. Klaus won't kill me right away course he need the moonstone, and the doppelganger and as long as I have both he wont hurt me, but what Klaus don't know is that I have a witch on my side that has poisoned the moonstone and a hungry werewolf, even Klaus can't take on a werewolf" Katherine said and made it all seem so simple.

"And that's it?" Caroline said just stating how simple it all sounded.

"Klaus is blind to anything but to get the moonstone and the doppelganger because he has waited for hundreds of years for this to happen" Katherine said.

"You don't think Klaus has done his homework" Rose said and almost snorted at Katherine.

"I believe he has, but he has only recently learned of the dobbelganger" Katherine said and I wanted to believe her.

Everybody was silent, it sounds so absurd that it could be that simple, but on the other hand there was a lot of people involved in this and every move Katherine had pulled was for a reason.

"How do you avoid being bit by the werewolf yourself, and how do we assure it all happens on a full moon?" Rose asked.

"That's where Caroline comes into the picture, her mission is to get close to Tyler, I intended to myself, but she will do. When Tyler transfers into a werewolf he looses his humanity, but if someone he cares for as a human then appears he will be reminded of his humanity and she would be able to stop him. As for the full moon, then I guarantee you that it won't be a problem, course to reverse the curse you need to do it on a full moon" Katherine said and it seemed all the questions was answered.

"How can we be sure to trust you will do this" Stefan asked and looked with hatred in his eyes at Katherine.

"I guess you can't be sure, but your little witch here intend on keeping me on a short lease"

"And Damon, how does he fit into all of this?" I asked fearing the answer.

"Oh Damon, he of course needed to play the hero, so I struck my own deal with him. I would have my freedom and he would be robbed of his" Katherine said enjoying herself.

"This little witch wasn't hard to convince to break down the seal in order for me to get out and the pull it up again right after Damon entered" Katherine laughed.

"Bonnie tell me it isn't true" I said tears slowly rising in my eyes.

"I couldn't do anything Elena, it was a deal he already struck and you're life is most important" Bonnie said, and I couldn't trace any guilt in her eyes.

"What do you gain from putting Damon in there" Stefan said trying really hard to keep himself from ripping Katherine's head off.

"He put me in there and had no problem letting me suffer, plus he needed something for the witch to bite, and it seems like she was more than willing to let Damon in there"

"Non of us had any problem letting you suffer down there, you deserved it. Bonnie you need to get him out" Stefan begged.

"I can't Stefan, I can't let Damon out. He willingly went in there and I have no desire to get him out of there" Bonnie said.

"Bonnie" I begged.

"Damon stays, it was a deal. Always such a fool for love, this I the second time he dies for love" Katherine said and my tears burned on my cheeks.

"I need to see him" I said and looked at Stefan who nodded.

Damon's POV

It hadn't been hard convincing Bonnie to trap me; the little witch had never liked me, and who could blame her.

It seemed like the right thing to do, Elena was what mattered, her and Stefan and if their safety means me being trapped in this tomb, then let it be.

I heard the tomb door being pulled aside and I already knew whom it would be.

"Come to say goodbye?" I said trying to sound sarcastic.

"Its not funny Damon, why did you do it? We would have found a way" Stefan said and I looked at him.

"Little brother, your just jealous that I did this grand gesture before you did, but you should be thrilled, I wont be around to torment you and try and steal your girl" I said, wishing he would write me off as a lost cause, that would be easier.

"I don't buy this asshole act Damon, of all the stupid things you have done, this one outdoes them all" Stefan spat out.

"Just walk away Stefan" I said, it would be easier for me if he just walked away.

"Can I talk to Damon alone" I heard her say and my heart melted, no matter how hard I tried not to let her effect me she did.

"I'll be right outside" Stefan said.

"Go away Elena" I said and turned around to walk away.

"Don't Damon, you just doomed yourself to save me, so don't you dare walk away from me" I heard her cry, and it hurt.

"It's the only way Elena" I said still with my back turned away from her.

"I didn't wish for this" she said and I felt her hand grab my arm forcing me to look at her.

I looked down at her face to find her beautiful face filled with tears, tears for me. If there was one thing I didn't want, then it was for her to cry for me.

"I have tried so hard to hate you, and you have given me plenty of reason, but at the end of the day I can always count on you. Thank you Damon, thank you for not being selfish with me, but I don't deserve it" She sobbed and I knew she remembered the other night.

"Elena be honest with me, in a world with no Stefan, could you love me?" I asked knowing it wasn't fair.

I knew I had asked her a question that was out of line, but I just needed to know. Her next move took me by surprise as she grabbed my head and pulled my lips closer to hers.

I kissed a woman I loved before, but kissing her was like nothing I had ever imagined, and I knew it was a pity kiss, but it also seemed like there was so much more in it.

"I will bring you blood" she whispered and I felt my heart sink, I wanted her close to me.

"It would only make it worse Elena"

"I can't let you die because of me"

"It's my own choice, and I have to live, no make that die with it" I tried to joke but failed.

"Go and be happy with Stefan, and try and survive will you, or else I would die for nothing" I said and tried to pull my old careless face on, but I was falling apart inside.

Elena had kissed me, and she had done it herself. Even though it had been a pity kiss, then it was a kiss, and it had meant the whole world to me.

"Can let you die Damon" she said and I knew she would be impossible.

"Then what Elena, you will come give me blood every day until you die, and then I can die" I said pushing her away.

"Damon" she tried, but I couldn't face her, I choose to walk away, into the darkness.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Elena's POV

"We need to find a way to get Damon out" Rose said and I looked at her, why did she show a sudden interest in getting Damon out.

"Why do you care?" I heard myself asking.

"We need him" she said, but something about her made me think that wasn't the entire truth.

"I will do whatever I can to get Damon out of there, but we have to focus on saving you Elena" Stefan said and pulled me closer.

I used to want to be as close to him as I possible could, but with so many things on my mind and all of my worries I felt trapped in his arms.

I also felt guilty for having kissed Damon, it was wrong of me, but the worst part was that I enjoyed it and was still thinking about it.

"What is with the tension" Katherine said as she entered.

No one liked having Katherine around, and every time she entered everybody got even tenser than usually.

"Stefan can I talk to you for a second" Katherine asked.

They walked to Stefan's bedroom, and I knew it was wrong, but I excused myself and followed them as quietly as I could, I knew a perfect spot for ears dropping outside Stefan's room.

"You know she might die right?" I heard Katherine saying.

"Always assuming the worst"

"I am being realistic Stefan, something you might try"

"I am not going to assume the worst Katherine, I need to save her"

"Yes I know, you love her and want to protect her with your life, and it is very noble, but you might die trying"

"That's something I need to risk to keep her safe"

"Stefan even though we get out of this alive being with you puts her in danger"

"Trust me I know, not a day goes by without me knowing that"

"You are surely a fool for love Stefan, but believe it or not I want her safe, and that's not with a vampire, she needs a human so she has a shot at life"

"Why do you pretend to care?"

"She is my blood Stefan, and I don't want the Petrova blood line to end with her"

"Be careful Katherine you almost sound carrying"

"Well I am being completely selfish and I don't want the world to be robbed of Petrova's"

"Why did you put Damon in that tomb"

"Well you know Damon, he is always taking love to another level. I honestly believe that man has a knight in white armour complex, but I have to say I like vampire Damon better than human Damon"

"Why did you decide to play the both of us back then?"

"Well because I could. Damon was a puppy that adored me and I loved adoring he was. You were a challenge, and so honest in your love for me"

"I will never understand the evil that lies within you"

"You once saw the good within me Stefan, and you will once again"

"I love Elena"

"Blah blah, can I be frank with you?"

"See that's the beauty of me hating you, I would never expect you to tell me the truth"

"She has feelings for Damon"

"Who?

"Elena, she feels something for Damon"

"She is not you Katherine"

"That's where you wrong, she is just the kind of girl I was when I was human"

"I'm surprised that you were even human"

"Well I were, and I had a wonderful life, I was engaged to a man of very high status in my village, and I loved him more than anything. I believed that I had everything a girl could dream of until I met his brother. He came back 6 moths before the wedding. Everybody was on edge around him, and no one liked him. Except for those he liked in return, when he liked someone he was polite and a gentleman. I found myself fascinated with him and I had a certain understanding of why he did everything he did"

"It's all very excited, but what does it have anything to do with Elena?"

"Well if you would let me finish you would know. Two moths before the wedding I went to see my fiancée, but the only one who was at home was his brother, and I had to admit that my fascination with him had grown into something I couldn't put my finger on, and in a moment of weakness I gave in to him. It ruined my life; I lost my fiancée and the guy I had fallen in love with when it was discovered it was pregnant. I had the baby and was banned from Hungary"

"I know that Elena understood Damon and believed that there was something good in him, but you destroyed everything good about Damon when you came back"

"That's where your wrong Stefan, Elena brings out the good in Damon, remember he is the one trapped in that tomb in order to save her"

There was a long pause and I felt the urge to barge in there to stop Katherine from talking about Damon, but I couldn't.

"Even though Elena does feel something for Damon she would never act on it" I heard Stefan saying and I swear I could her desperation in his voice.

"I'm just saying that when she found out about Damon in the tomb I saw a look in her eyes I have never seen before"

"Of course, he had just sacrificed his life for her"

"Whatever you would like to believe Stefan, but I know that her life will never be normal with either one of you"

I didn't want to hear another word, I was trying so hard to justify me not being at all like Katharine, but deep down she was once human and capable of feelings and from what I heard she had been in love and had her heart broken.

Damon's POV

My hunger was all consuming, I hadn't feed before being thrown into the tomb. My throat was burning. I could kill for blood, but that was the funny thing, after being around Elena I wanted to be better and I hadn't killed anyone.

Stefan had been so good at the whole animal diet all these years, and I hated seeing him having so much self control.

He was weak being on animal blood, and even though I had pretended to hate him all these years I did care for him.

Wanting to make his life miserable was just my way of keeping busy from thinking of Katherine all the time.

Apart of me also hated him for what he had done to me, but he was also my only link to the life I had once lived.

How many hours or days had gone by I had no idea, but when I heard the tomb door move I crumbed together in the dark.

I took all of my control not to rip her throat open. Her smell, a smell I knew better than anything reached my nose even before she stepped inside.

"Elena get out of here" I tried to yell, but my throat was closed and I felt her coming closer.

"Damon?" he yelled and I tried even harder to make myself invisible.

I felt her present right beside me and I didn't move, she couldn't see me like this.

"Damon I brought blood" she said and as much as I wanted to be strong I accepted the bottle of blood.

"Elena why did you come" I asked and looked at her for the first time.

"I will find a way to get you out of here"

"Its not possible, your little witch friend made sure of that. She sealed a spell between Katherine and me, so with out her permission I am trapped inhere" I said and snorted.

"Dam…"

"What Elena? You would be able to convince the queen of evil to let me out?" I snorted.

"Have you ever considered that there's a reason she is the way she is?"

"Yes Elena, that is constantly on my mind when I am down here trapped"

"Damon I try, I always try to find that good in you that I know is there, but you always shut me out"

"What makes you so sure that I have something good in me?"

"Because even though you put on this act you always let me see something good in you. When the tomb vampires took Stefan you put yourself in danger to save him and keep me safe. When he was hooked on human blood you sat in the corridor outside the basement with me. Jeremy told me that you apologized for taking his memory away and offered to do it again to ease his pain. So you keep doing this stupid things, but deep down you're a good guy Damon"

"Yeah and it got me far right, stuck in this tomb"

"That was the most stupid thing you have ever done Damon"

"Maybe not, you kissed me Elena"

She silenced and I could feel the tension, but I needed to say it. I needed for her to tell my why she had kissed me.

"I have to go" she said and stood up, but before she could run away from me I stopped her.

"Let me go Damon" she said and I could see tears start to build up in her eyes.

"I can't Damon" she said and tears now streamed down her cheek.

"You said that you were surprised that I thought you would ever kiss me back, and then you kissed ME Elena, a dying mans wish?" I asked and I knew it was more than that.

"I can't be her" Elena said without looking at me.

"That's just it Elena, your not"

"How can I ever justify that having kissed you Damon?"

"It was a pity kiss to a dying man" I said on one hand hoping she would deny it but on the other hand I needed for her to tell me that it was exactly what that was.

"But it wasn't Damon"

She said it, and I thought I needed to hear it. I had pressured her into this, and I knew I had made everything complicated for her by making her say it out loud.

"Get out of here Elena, and please don't come back this isn't helping either one of us. I can compel you to make you forget?" I asked, wanting for her sake to let her be able to forget.

"You would remember, and kissing you was a choice I made and I tend to live with that" she said and kissed me cheek before running out of the tomb.

I heard Caroline talking before closing the tomb again, typical of Caroline to help Elena out.

I saw the bag Elena had left behind, there was blood enough to keep me feed for two weeks, but what good would it do me? I was stuck here with the memory of her kiss and the longing for her.


End file.
